兄の弟(Younger Brother To Older Brother)
by The Dark Crimson Blood
Summary: There are times when the younger brother becomes the older brother. Watch as Luffy does just that.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author: **__The Dark Crimson Blood**  
**_******Story Title: **兄の弟(Younger Brother To Older Brother)**  
****Chapter Title:** They're Sick  
******Story Summary**_******: **There are times in which the younger brother becomes the older brother. Watch as Luffy does just that. (Eventual 10 chapters)******  
****Words: 1,584**____  
_**Updates_: _**_Check my profile! I've written down what times I plan on updating stories :)  
Unimportant **NOTE: **I'm fifteen today, so I decided to do a 'Super Update' where I update almost every story I have that's incomplete, It's not much; but if your curious check my profile, Updates are written down for today... ANYWAY, back to the story;_

* * *

**Summary: Luffy has to risk going to high town to get medicine for his sickly brothers  
Characters: Ace, Luffy, Sabo**  
**Luffy: 12, Ace: 15, Sabo: 15**

Four am in the morning and the only sound coming from the tree house were both the coughs and the ragged breaths coming from both Sabo and Ace. Luffy constantly left his bed to replace the rags on each of their foreheads; he would have to leave to refill the bucket again, despite how his brothers were against him leaving so late at night. He winced when he heard Ace groan in pain before rolling over, gripping his sheets as if they were a life line. Eyebrows arched in worry, he turned to his other brother; who's face was a sickly pale and his forehead was drenched in a cold sweat.

They were both in what seemed like immense pain, and he knew simply watching them; getting them water, and changing the rags on their foreheads wasn't enough. Frowning, he turned to the exit; knowing he'd be yelled at later if his brothers found out he left without telling them, without anyone to go with him. They didn't really need to find out, since they were asleep, anyway. So, they wouldn't notice. Besides, he couldn't let his brothers protect him when they were the ones who needed help.

He silently left, avoiding the creaks in the wood that he had memorized during the whole time he'd lived there. The air was colder than usual, he hadn't noted it until he left. The grass was wet, and the wind was freezing. He simply adjusted his hat and continued walking; bucket in hand as he did so.

Deciding medicine might help, he headed for high town; knowing they had the best medicine for these kinds of things. That was what his brothers had told him, anyway. They'd even given him directions to the place they raided for medicine when it was needed. Though, he was told never to go there alone.

* * *

In the midist of night, everyone was asleep; so no one saw a small child slipping in through a window to someone's house, and just like his brother's had said; the medicine was stacked high on a shelf, so it was merely an accident that he slipped after he finished collecting the medicine. Seconds later there were loud footsteps heading towards him, he managed to get both the medicine and his precious hat out the window before he was grabbed and thrown against the wall; whatever glass item he crashed into shattered and pieces dug into his skin. He scrambled up and into a fighting stance, ignoring the pain coming from his back in favor of getting ready to take on whoever had attacked him.

The light turned on, and he stared at the man in front of him; he had a scowl on his face, pale skin, a weird looking face, and a short brown hair; as well as a thin, groomed mustache. "What was that for?" Luffy asked angrily. The man replied by holding out a well decorated shotgun, "What do you think!? You're stealing from me!"

"Bullets won't work on me, old man" Luffy replied, standing still as the gun fired, he let out a surprised yelp with the bullet dug it's way into his shoulder, breaking the skin easily. And suddenly, he felt weaker than ever.  
"Don't think I haven't heard about you; a certain pirate named Bluejam told me about a group of three boys who kept stealing from everyone and entering High Town without permission. You are the one with the devil fruit powers, correct? This is a place for nobles, not for demon scum like you." Luffy grabbed his shoulder in pain and continued glaring at the other; but put his fists up again nonetheless. Mimicking Ace, Luffy stayed; he wouldn't be the coward that turned his back on the enemy.

Luffy darted towards where he had previously been standing and grabbed his bo staff; skidding back when he had it safely in his hands. He attacked his opponent with a brief battle cry; easily knocking the man down with one hit to the head. Unfortunately for the man, he hadn't been expecting Luffy to attack again. The man knew Luffy was supposed to have been the weak, crybaby; but he thought wrong.

Panting, he backed up, managing to get to the window and jump out before anyone else decided to come check on things; and before any other harm came to him. His eyes wide and heartbeat accelerating from the adrenaline, the pain didn't register until he reached the lake. Once again, he dropped his cargo, he dropped to his knees and soon found himself rolling on the ground; attempting to null the pain in any way possible. Tears began rolling out of his eyes as the pain only got worse; but suddenly, he stopped

Ace and Sabo were in pain; which was the only reason he left in the first place. It was supposed to be his turn to play the older brother, and he wasn't doing a very good job of it. Lip quivering, he picked up the empty bucket and filled it with water after briefly washing his wound. He carried his belongings back to the tree house; hoping his brothers were still sleeping and hadn't noticed his absence yet.

* * *

Ace sat up, stretching his arms upward with a relaxed look on his face. He opened his eyes and turned to his brother, Sabo; who had sat up simultaneously. "It's odd, isn't it?" Sabo asked, watching as the rag on his brother's forehead fell off. "Why did the cold pass by so quickly?"

"I don't know; usually this'll last for two to three days before it fades..." Ace paused, looking at the middle of the bed where Luffy usually laid, either attached to Sabo or himself. "Hey, where's Luffy?" Ace suddenly asked. And with this question, Sabo turned to the spot his brother was looking at; and he easily noticed the empty space.

Glancing at each other briefly; they quickly left the tree house, but stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they were outside. Leaning against the very outside of the tree house; was their little brother. He was leaning dangerously close to the edge, so Ace quickly moved him in fear of the boy falling despite how he was made out of rubber.  
"Was he outside...All night? Sabo asked silently, watching as Ace picked their little brother up and carried him back inside; Sabo followed shortly. They couldn't help but notice the red tint to Luffy's face; the pale skin, the purple bags... And everything clicked; despite how they had told Luffy to stay away, he had came back and caught their cold. But the question was, why weren't they sick as well?

"Luffy, wake up" Sabo whispered, pushing his brother gently. Big, innocent eyes opened slowly as their owner woke up; he moved briefly and attempted to hide a wince. It was a failed attempt. The bandaged area on Luffy's shoulder was easily noticed; he always had some sort of wound, but neither of his brothers remembered him getting that one.  
"What happened, Lu? Why were you sleeping outside?" Ace was curious and slightly angry that his brother had been stupid enough to sleep outside.  
"I fell asleep after I came b-back" Luffy's voice cracked, exhaustion easily heard through it. It was an answer that led to another question.  
"Where'd you go?" Sabo continued, keeping a soft voice  
"I got medicine for Ace and Sabo..." Luffy was a horrible liar, and he was tired; so the truth ran right out of him.  
Everything clicked, everything made sense, they understood everything; but they didn't like it. It was obvious what he did from that point on; he had most likely gone to that one place they had declared off limits. And so, they were angry; but only because they were worried. "Was it at that-"

"Yeah" Luffy replied easily,  
"Did you get hurt?"  
Luffy hesitated, shaking his head 'no'. He was obviously lying; and being his brothers, they pointed it out. "You got hurt... Didn't you? Tell the truth"  
"Yeah, I was shot... Sea stone... Bullet..." He mumbled, obviously drifting off again; "Why would you deliberately get yourself injured?! You're the younger brother and we're your older brothers! We're supposed to protect you; not the other way around, idiot!" Ace yelled angrily, shaking the sleepy child.  
"It's okay; besides, it was my turn"  
"Your turn for what?"  
"It was my turn to be the older brother!"


	2. Failed Attempt1

_**Author: **__The Dark Crimson Blood_******  
Story Title: **兄の弟(Younger Brother To Older Brother)  
**Chapter Title: **Failed Attempt  
******Story Summary**_******: **There are times in which the younger brother becomes the older brother. Watch as Luffy does just that. (Eventual 10 chapters)  
**Words: 1,570  
**__**Updates**__: __Check my profile! I've written down times I plan on updating stories :)  
**Note**: Just something I came up with; sorry if it's bad.  
_**QUICK REPLY**___: Big thanks to _**mad100141**___ for the 'Happy Birthday!' Thanks~ Feel any different? o-o Should I worry? xD_  
**Luffy 7, Ace 10  
Summary: Luffy tries to become the older brother to gain recognition from his brother; but fails. Luckily; his brothers are there for him **

* * *

Seated on a rook overlooking the ocean, Luffy laid back; legs dangling over the edge. Ace kept telling him he was weak, and that he needed to get stronger... In fact, just today; Luffy had made a mistake that caused his slow retracting arms to be grabbed and was slightly hurt because of that. Sabo had told him to be more careful; whereas Ace had yelled at him for being weak. Frowning, he continued to gaze up at the dark nights sky; he still hadn't returned back to their tree house. He wondered if his brothers were worrying about him... Probably not, since he was so weak... Why would they want a weak person amongst them? They were strong, after all.

Maybe he should get stronger? Yeah, that sounded better. He should get stronger; strong enough so his brothers would accept him and stop treating him like such a weakling.

He decided he wouldn't go back to his brothers until that happened.

* * *

Three days; and there still wasn't much progress. He still couldn't even catch a simple fish! Sure he could climb trees to get fruit, as well as eat mushrooms and bugs; but he wanted meat, damnit! His thoughts were cut short when a large bear came forward, carrying an oversized fish. Smirking, he darted; and in one swift moment he managed to hit the bear over the head with his bo staff and grab the fish the second he dropped it. Luffy devoured it in seconds, though the bear seemed angry.

"Crap!" Luffy cried, turning away and running for it; behind him ran a bear that was intent on killing him.

Eventually, Luffy began running downhill; losing the bear in process. But, he tripped; then stumbled, rolling down the hill at an unbelievable speed and passing two familiar people right by; they seemed to have mistaken for an animal, so he was ignored- and laughed at.

Unfortunately, he kept rolling; until he reached the same trench he had fallen down only months ago when Ace had cut down the ropes to the bridge. And to his despair, he fell back down; and as he was falling, he noted; he was missing his hat.

* * *

Ace and Sabo leisurely walked back to their tree house; carrying one large alligator together, they had just caught it; so it was fresh. Though despite their relaxed postures, they were slightly worried; their little brother had been missing for three days after getting himself slightly wounded because of a guy who had recognized Ace.

The subject had been left alone ever since Luffy had gone missing; but, they didn't even talk about that. Since, annoyances have tendencies of coming right back when you least expect them.

The sour mood was lifted when something rolled past them at inhuman speed; they stopped completely, briefly gazing at each other and then back to the place it rolled off to, before finally looking at the place it came from.  
"Was it an animal?"  
"Looked like it, an extremely stupid animal!" Ace said, laughing; it only took seconds for Sabo to join in as well.

They continued carrying the dead alligator back to their tree house with smiles on their faces and laughter leaving their mouths.

* * *

Luffy slowly picked himself up; he had managed to hit the ground face first. Standing up, Luffy glared up at the top of the crevice; silently cursing the tree root that had tripped him and sent him back down here again. His hands unconsciously went to his head, where he had planned on adjusting his hat; only to find that the only thing there was his hair. Frowning, his hands searched more frantically and his gaze darted around the area; in hope to find the missing object, but to no avail.

It was nowhere to be seen, though his instincts told him it was somewhere at the top. Figuring the easiest way out was to climb, he did just that; only to be pulled back down by the same wolves that had been there last time.

"You guys are still here? Find someone else to bother!" They continued biting at him, so he stopped attempting to climb; turning to the wolves with a dark glare; he smirked.

"If you want to play that way, then we will"

For the second time, Luffy spent his times fighting the multiple wolves that were trying to eat him.

* * *

Five, previously seven wolves watched as Luffy tied his shirt around two wolves he had killed, planning on using it to help him carry them back up. "This isn't enough," He slowly turned to the other animals and they only whimpered in fear before turning and running off as Luffy tried to chase them.

He gave up; deciding they were too fast for him, he turned around; but the second he reached the wolves his head began to hurt; the whole world was spinning. And, for some reason; his vision blacked and his consciousness left.

The hell?

* * *

Luffy had wondered in the opposite direction; he knew he could either go the way he previously went to get out, or climb upward; but there was an unexplored area he hadn't visited yet, and so he headed that way; footsteps evident as he went. The wolves he had killed had been left behind; they had been carried off by something bigger- a bear, probably the bear from earlier. It had most likely taken it's revenge after Luffy stole it's food earlier.

His stomach rumbled, and he frowned because of it. "I'm hungry~" He sang out, dragging his feet as he walked. And all of a sudden; he stopped. There was a pile of wood, a large pile of wood and rocks., it seemed to go up pretty high. It was... Wet.

Odd, yes. Yes indeed.

His curiosity got the best of him once again when he later found himself climbing up the large pile, attempting to reach the top.

What he saw made him freeze with fear the second he heard something crack.

* * *

"SABO!" Ace called, running towards the blond and skidding to a stop; panting heavily. Whatever words that came out of his mouth couldn't be understood; so Sabo sighed and spoke up, "Take a deep breath and continue."  
Ace did just that and held out Luffy's treasure; his straw hat. "I found it b-by the bridge!"  
"He must've fell down!" Sabo said, panicking.  
"We have to help him, that idiot" Ace mumbled, running back to the bridge he had just left; with Sabo running behind him.  
Ace could only hope Luffy wasn't in any trouble, _again_

* * *

Ace didn't know what to say when he saw Luffy, clenching a log as if it was his only life line- which it most likely was, since if Luffy let go; he'd end up drowning due to the plain fact of him being unable to swim. Eventually; just as Luffy had, Ace came across a dam, that was pretty far away from the original spot. Frowning, he dove in without hesitation.

"Luffy!"

The very second Luffy lost his grip on the log, the very second his head went under the water; he was saved.

* * *

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Both brothers yelled simultaneously at their brother; who was curled up in a large towel, leaning against a tree.  
"You disappear for three damn days..." Ace began, sighing; "Then we find out you fell into a dam? How do you even..."

"Why'd you leave, Luffy?" Sabo asked, interrupting Ace's rant;

"Because I'm weak... Sabo-nii and Ace-nii think I'm weak." Ace's eyes widened and Sabo's eyes arched in understanding. "I'm always getting in the way..."  
"That's not-" Sabo began, interrupted by an angry reply; "It _is_! I keep messing up, and... And I just wanted to try being the bigger, stronger older brother... Because I'm weak, Ace-nii and Sabo-nii don't like me!"

A deathly silence;  
No one moved

"Luffy... We don't hate you." Sabo began, reaching towards Luffy and putting a hand on his shoulder; whereas Ace simply sat down next to the child

"You're supposed to be weaker than us, you're younger; smaller. It'll always be that way. But... I guess you're pretty strong." Ace replied, hesitantly.  
"If you're trying to be the older brother; then who will be our younger brother? It's weird without one, okay? So stay in that position."

Luffy finally smiled; it was the smile the two elder brothers had wanted to see since the moment he got back.  
"Okay!"


	3. Sabo Died

_**Author: **__The Dark Crimson Blood_******  
Story Title: **兄の弟(Younger Brother To Older Brother)**  
****Chapter Title:** Sabo Died  
******Story Summary**_******: **There are times in which the younger brother becomes the older brother. Watch as Luffy does just that. (Eventual 10 chapters)  
**Words: 1,376  
**__**Updates**__: __Check my profile! I've written down times I plan on updating stories :)_

* * *

**Summary: Every night for a week, just at midnight; Luffy comforted Ace until he became the one needing the comfort.  
Luffy: 7 Ace: 10**

* * *

Every night just at midnight; Luffy would sit next to Ace, and comfort him. He stops, and Ace notices.

The second Luffy heard about Ace's death; he cried for minutes that turned into hours. Until he realized something; Ace was probably feeling worse than him, and here he was not caring about anyone but himself. So, he pushed those feelings back; shoving them into the back of his mind until it couldn't withstand them anymore.

The second day after Sabo's death, he waits for Ace to fall asleep; and, minutes later he sits next to his older brother and gently combs his hand through the elder's hair; just like Ace had done for him. Ace's eyebrows had previously been arched in sadness, there were bags underneath his eyes, as well as tears that were dried to his cheeks; and he was sleeping in a curled up position. "It's okay, Ace. It's okay" He repeated, words flowing out of his mouth softly and slowly in a comforting way; and before he knew it, Ace's posture had loosened and he was now sleeping peacefully; his eyelids weren't closed as tightly as they had been before, now they were gently closed; as if he wasn't forcing himself to sleep.

And before Luffy knew it, the night had passed. The smallest left minutes before Ace woke up, and the second Ace did; he had felt better than ever.

* * *

The third night, Luffy caught Ace crying in his sleep. He wiped each tear away one by one and continued his mantra; "It's okay Ace, don't cry. Everything's fine now, it's okay." Once again, Ace's actions had begun to return to the way they had previously been.  
Luffy was half asleep at three-am, but he was pretty sure he heard Ace mumble 'Sabo' in his sleep before a small whimper came out of his mouth. Luffy frowned sadly, knowing that it would be awhile until his brother finally got over Sabo's death and accepted it.

Even _he _hadn't accepted it yet.

He wanted to cry and bawl his eyes about it like his brother could; but he had to be strong for Ace, just like all the times Ace had done for him. He wouldn't be a glutton, he could cry after Ace had gotten a good night sleep; Luffy pulled his brother into a tight hug, before leaving that night as well.

* * *

It had taken an entire week, an entire week for Luffy to finally break down, on the last day; Luffy had started crying while repeating, 'It's okay' to Ace. And before he knew it, tears had begun to streak down his face messily. He couldn't do it anymore; he was trying to convince himself that he didn't feel anything while he helped Ace. Because of that, Ace was doing better; but he still wasn't over it. Luffy understood how Ace felt; but just because he shared the same pain, doesn't mean he knew how to help; and that frustrated him, greatly. He was angry at himself for not being able to help Ace when he needed it.

He was crying, finally bawling his eyes out like his body had wanted too since the very first day. He was trying to release the pain he felt from a death he hadn't truly accepted yet; Sabo's.

And to make things worse, it was raining.  
You could say the sky was crying with him; because that was what it looked like. But the constant thunder booms and lightning strikes scared Luffy; the small child that was currently curled up in a ball and leaning against a tree in the forest alone. No one was comforting him like he had done with his brother; he wanted someone to comfort him, someone to tell him it'd be okay... But he doubted it would happen; since, he had felt like this for a week now and nothing had changed.

He'd look weak, if he went to Ace; wouldn't he?  
He'd be scolded for crying, wouldn't he?  
He'd be hated, wouldn't he?

Those thoughts scattered throughout his head the second a rather loud 'boom' of thunder was heard; he hated the thunder, and he wasn't sure why. It was terrifying, for him. As much as he loved the rain, he hated the thunder that came with it.

He was cold; his clothing was soaked from the water that was falling from the cloudy sky, his precious straw hat hung by a string attached to his neck; preventing it from blowing away due to the thick heavy wind blowing past him, causing his hair to blow around in every direction. He wiped his eyes, the tears had already blended in with the rain; there was no way of telling he was crying.

The next night; Ace noticed the absence of something he wasn't sure of.

Something was missing  
The comforting feeling was missing.  
He was sure it was missing, he had felt the absence- no, presence of something- NO someone. He frowned; sitting up. The darkness verified it was nighttime; the middle of the night to be exact. He looked to the spot across from him; a child, a specific child he called his brother was missing. How long had he been gone? How long had it been since he had noticed? How long...?

He had forgotten, his own brother; Luffy.

He could see Sabo frowning down on him, disappointment clear in his eyes.

He inwardly panicked even if it didn't show on the outside; realization, his little brother. The little brother that he had promised Sabo he'd protect; he hadn't protected Luffy, his only brother; his last living brother. How the hell could he have been so foolish?! So stupid, so idiotic, so... He shook his head and stood up, leaving the tree house quickly before running toward the mountain base; he'd wake Dandan, she'd know where he was.

He had no luck; the woman had yelled at him for waking up, hit him on the head, and told him she had no idea. This was wonderful; and, apparently; he hadn't been seen there for over a week- just his luck. He bit his lip, running faster than he ever had through all of Luffy's favorites spots; he was never found. The last spot was the small ledge by the sea; if he wasn't there, then he was out of luck. He could only hope as he ran toward it.

* * *

Luffy was curled up in a ball, watching the vast sea as he thought about Sabo. He remembered the excitement they'd all get when talking about freedom, happiness; the sea.

It had all ceased the moment they found out Sabo had died.

He was still wet from the previous day; but he didn't care. He was numb  
Completely numb  
Suddenly, warmth; a warmth on his hand that managed to warm his whole body, his head snapped to his right; and the first thing he saw was a small smile and a freckled haired boy. Ace. He wiped his tears away and smiled back; it wavered.  
The words he'd been longing for since the very first day finally rang through his eardrums; "It's okay, Luffy"  
Luffy was pulled into a tight, comforting hug; and at this, his lip trembled before the tears began to fall all over again. Only this time he had someone to comfort him, just like he had done.

_"It's okay."  
_"It's okay,"  
Now, Ace was sure Sabo was smiling at him.


	4. Too Trusting

_**Author: **__The Dark Crimson Blood_******  
Story Title: **兄の弟(Younger Brother To Older Brother)  
**Chapter Title: Di**sbelieving  
******Story Summary**_******: **There are times in which the younger brother becomes the older brother. Watch as Luffy does just that. (Eventual 10 chapters)  
**Words: 1,906  
**__**Updates**__: __Check my profile! I've written down times I plan on updating stories :)_  
**Luffy 13, Ace 16**

* * *

Luffy only watched from a distance.  
Ace had made a new friend; they were both the same age, fifteen. They looked to be around the same height, as well. But Luffy didn't trust the other; Ace had made a new friend in just a week; which was odd, for Ace- who went around beating people up for saying bad things about Gold D. Roger's son. He frowned within the shadows; Ace's new friend had short, messy brown hair; pale skin, and green eyes. Apparently his name was- or he went by the name of 'Billy' which was an obvious name to pick out at the last minute.

He leaned in closer when he heard the two talking with each other after eating at a restaurant and running off, an 'eat'n'run' just like Ace did with Luffy. Frowning, Luffy waited. "I have a little brother too, you know" the brown haired child said, it was a lie; or that was what Luffy's instincts told him. "That's cool, but; I have to go. I left my kid brother alone for too long; he's quite troublesome. I'll catch with ya tomorrow."

"Okay, let's meet back here tomorrow at around eight at night? If that sounds okay?" The other asked, Ace nodded; a smirk on his face, "Sure"

"You could bring your brother if you want, I'll bring mine. He's about 'Luffy's' age." Ace nodded and ran off; and at that point Luffy turned around and left as well, talking his time on the walk back. This person, was suspicious; and Ace was just oblivious towards a person who was so much like Sabo.

It was roughly seven fifty three at night; and Ace was just about to leave to meet up with his friend; "Oi, Luffy; want to meet Billy?"  
Luffy shook his head 'no' stubbornly. "Don't wanna"  
"Why not?" Ace asked, curious; Luffy usually loved to make new friends and meeting new people; so, why not this time? Was he feeling off? Was he sick? Was he hurt?  
"You shouldn't go, Ace. It's not a good idea." Luffy continued, suddenly stopping Ace's inward questioning without knowing.  
Ace only replied with a short sigh, it was as if he suddenly understood everything. "Look, Luffy; we're brothers, but I have friends too. You shouldn't get angry when I hang out with other people."  
Luffy's eyebrow arched ever so slightly in anticipation, impatience, and worry "But-" he was interrupted the second he opened his mouth. "No, but's Luffy; I'm going."

Luffy suddenly stepped in front of his brother; blocking the entrance and exit of their tree house so he could stop his older brother from leaving, stupidly; he denied his brother's decision just like Ace had done for him. "No, you're not allowed" "  
"You're really pissing me off; you know?" Ace replied, angrily; crossing his arms as a glare appeared on his face.  
"Damnit Ace! He's trying to get you killed!" Luffy yelled angrily; the words flying out of his mouth without the slightest bit of hesitation, which indicated that he wasn't lying. Ace was too stubborn, though; he simply pushed Luffy to the side and stopped in the doorway. "Luffy, I never thought you'd stoop so low." It was said gently; but it hurt, it hurt terribly. Luffy could only stand there as he watched Ace leave.

And he continued to stand there, eyes wide and mouth agape.

He was... The bad guy in this situation...?

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Ace called out, skidding to a stop in front of his friend; 'Billy'  
"No problem, there'd no rush" A slight pause, "Where's your brother? I thought you said he was coming…"  
"He didn't want to come; he didn't want me to come either." Ace let out an awkward laugh, unconsciously moving when the other boy did so; "He's an idiot and, said that you would try to kill me… Odd isn't it?" The red haired boy nodded; a dark smile on his face. "That _is_ odd. But for a different reason"

"Because he was right"

There were bruises and scrapes all over his tanned body; the moment he had turned into the alleyway; 'Billy' gave himself away and he was attacked by a man who caught him by surprise. He'd been positive he'd seen the person before; in fact, it was one of the people he had only recently beaten up. He could only sit in a corner and wait; the ropes prevented him from moving; so he had yet to find a way out.

He had no idea where he was, but the house he was in was small and broken down; as well as dark, so he doubted anyone would come by and help him. Besides; the people here didn't like him anyway, nor was that their personality.

_He should've listened to Luffy  
_  
He even scolded the child angrily after Luffy had tried to prevent him from leaving, that kid's instincts had always been right; anyway. He wanted to apologize to Luffy; but he couldn't, since it seemed this was where he'd be killed.

There were footsteps, few; but they were there and they indicated that someone had came back- or someone had entered.

"UNTIE ME AND FIGHT!" Ace yelled angrily, teeth clenching as he attempted to free himself of his constraints. The angry man from earlier had returned and this time, he seemed annoyed at Ace's sudden outburst. Ace was pushed to the ground and cloth was tied around his mouth; to prevent him from yelling. And before he knew it, the man had turned and left as quickly as he had came; exiting into a different room that Ace; unfortunately, couldn't see._  
_  
He waited, he watched, he listened

This seemed to go on for hours until the window on his left side opened slowly, quietly. The first thing he noticed was the recognizable straw hat that was pushed through first, then a metal bo staff that luckily didn't make that much noise being dropped. Finally a small body followed, his eyes gazed up at the chubby cheeked face literally steps away from him. 'Luffy'?! He tried to say, he wasn't able to speak due to the restraints.

Luffy gave him an unbelievably bright smile as he bent down next to Ace; "I'll get you out of here, okay?" Ace shook his head furiously, there was no way he'd let his little brother be hurt because of him; but he couldn't say anything; let alone move as his brother carefully managed to get him out the window. He rolled down the slightly levitated hill before stopping a distance away from the old house. He was closer to a stream now, but the house was further away; and he was still struggling out of his restraints.

The world seemed to stop the second his little brother was halfway out the window; he was pulled back in and he heard a shrill yell that only caused him to struggle more. He counted the seconds movement ceased to exist within the house; the door opened when he reached '20' and he watched the man throw something into the house before running off. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was.  
His suspicions were proved correct when he saw the house light up in flames, they seemed to dance as they consumed the entire building.

The entire building…  
The entire building with his _brother_ in it, his _only _brother.

His eyes widened, and he continued to wiggle out of the ropes, it was taking too long! His brother was in there!

The side of the house collapsed easily, it had already been old and weak; fire didn't help it.  
_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!_  
The cloth tied around his mouth came off, "Damn Luffy, LUFFY!" The only reply was the silently crackling of the fire.

Finally, the rope he had been working on for hours had finally fallen; he quickly stood up and ran toward the burning house, he jumped over the fallen section and immediately began searching for Luffy; not caring about the multiple burn marks he was receiving in the process.  
He easily evaded multiple pieces of wood that fell from the ceiling, he never stopped moving-

Until he found Luffy  
Lying in front of him with a blood streaking down from his head; and a the wall from earlier covering him.

"Luffy!" He gasped, it took him a few tries but he managed to pick up the wall and pull his little brother out before letting it slam back down, crushing whatever was underneath it with ease. Even though it was a bad place to do so, Ace found himself scanning over his unconscious brother's body. His back was bruised with few gashes on it; his shoulder looked to be dislocated, and his head was bleeding; tracking unwanted blood onto his face.

Panicking; he picked his little brother up and carefully exited the burning house, he didn't want to injure Luffy's body any more than it already was.

The second he was outside; he bolted.

* * *

Pain, the only thing he could register was pain. Everything was dark, he couldn't see anything- his eyes were closed. He opened them slowly, and the first thing he saw was a blurry version of Ace. He blinked a few times, questioning himself; 'Why does Nii-san look worried?' Memories flooded through his mind and he remembered getting Ace out of a house his 'friend' had tried to kill him in, only to be grabbed when he tried to leave as well. Everything else after that was darkness.

"Ace?" Luffy asked, raggedly; his throat burned, so he was happy when his older brother gave him a cup of water. "Are you okay, Ace?"

Ace's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, all he wanted to do right now was yell and scream at his idiotic little brother; was he trying to get himself killed?! But despite all the pent up rage, he didn't say anything.  
And suddenly, his rage turned into worry. Shouldn't he be the one asking if Luffy was okay? "Luffy, don't ever do anything like that again." He pulled his brother into a tight hug and refused to let go; he had feared he had lost another brother the second he saw that house light up. Suddenly, guilt. Guilt because it was all his fault; for not listening to his brother; for yelling at Luffy for his suspicions. It was his fault Luffy had to come save him.  
Hugging back just as tightly, Luffy buried himself into Ace's chest; "I can't promise, anything like that."  
Luffy pulled away and smiled brightly, getting rid of Ace's guilt completely.

Ace only smiles, "Idiot"


	5. Birthday

_**Author: **__The Dark Crimson Blood__**  
Story Title: **__兄の弟__(Younger Brother To Older Brother)  
__**Chapter Title: Birthday**__  
__**Story Summary: **__There are times in which the younger brother becomes the older brother. Watch as Luffy does just that. (Eventual 10 chapters)  
__**Words: 1,667  
Updates: **__Check my profile! I've written down times I plan on updating stories :)_

* * *

******Luffy: 8, Ace: 11  
**Ace is tired, so he snaps at Luffy accidentally. After a long day, Ace notices Luffy's disappearance; and the reason behind it. It was Luffy's first birthday without Sabo, and someone told Luffy that Ace didn't want to be around him as much

* * *

"Ace~ Ace~ Ace~!" Luffy chanted, staring down at the sleeping figure; having entered Ace's country without asking or knocking. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a thin, short sleeved top with his treasured straw hat and sandals. It was the kind of thing someone would wear during the summer.  
"Shut up Luffy..." Ace mumbled, rolling over and pushing Luffy gently to the side, "But Ace~eee" Luffy whined, pushing his older brother back in forth in anticipation for a reply.

"Go away, Luffy" Ace muttered, Luffy had woken him up three times last night, for no reason at all; it was March, so it was freezing outside, especially at night. Luffy frowned, "Fine... I'm hungry" Luffy said, standing up and leaving the country; running off in favor of killing a deer for breakfast, his brother; simply went back to bed.

* * *

"Ace? Ace let's eat~" Luffy whined again, bothering his brother; who was busy fixing his broken bo staff, at the sudden surprise; Ace almost cut himself. To make things worse, the whole thing fell apart; and all of his progress disappeared. Biting his lip in anger, he turned to his brother and stood up; "What the hell; Luffy?! Stop bothering me when I'm busy! I was just about done fixing the bo staff YOU broke! Why don't you try to fucking fix it?! Useless son of a bitch..." Ace yelled, barely understanding the words coming out of his mouth until the last minute. There were dark bags underneath his eyes, which proved just how tired he was.

Luffy shrunk back, he was shaking considerably, and it wasn't from the cold. His eyes were hidden underneath the shade of his hat; and there was a shaky smile on his face, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Yeah, Yeah; that's what you _always _say. Yet you keep breaking things anyway! Just, just don't bother me for the rest of the day while I fix this. Understand?" Luffy nodded, backing up and apologizing again; he ran off. His tears weren't visible until he was out of sight. Ace frowned, deciding it would be best to get some more rest before continuing again.

If it wasn't his headache, then it was his instinct that told him something was wrong.

* * *

A small smile appeared on Luffy's face, he was pulling a large piece of wood he had been previously using as something to pull the animal with, it had been small; so it was easy to take out. Right now, he stood in front of a gravestone that read 'Sabo', his hat was rested peacefully on it. He pretended nothing was wrong, and went on without hesitation. "Sabo! How're you doing?" He paused, "Well I hope everything's going fine, hey; guess what? It's my birthday today, but; I'm sure you know already. I'm eight!" Luffy exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. He was too immersed into the conversation to notice heavy footsteps heading his way. After a few minutes of mindless chatter; he let out a sigh,

"Hey, Sabo; I was bad today" He began, sitting on the wet wood that had previously been used as a sled at one point, judging from how it curved in the front, "I made Ace angry, I didn't mean to... But I did..."

"I guess I'll leave him alone today, then." He said, turning around and almost shrieking; there was a large bear behind him. He knew he wasn't fast enough to run away, and he didn't even have his bo staff with him; so, he turned to the hill and grinned widely; "Seeya later, Sabo!" He called, pushing off on the sled-like wood right before the bear was able to hit him; he laughed the entire way down,

He'd never ridden a sled before, so this was new to him; yet he found himself dodging the trees to avoid hitting them. Though one question that ran through his mind caused the laughter to die down and a panicked look to appear on his face

How does he stop?

* * *

Ace woke up with a slight yawn, he left his country and silently headed into Dandan's country to ask for the time, it was dark; so it was obvious he had been asleep for awhile. After conversing with a few people, he had learned that it was midnight, which meant dinner had already passed, as well as breakfast, and lunch. A frown reached his face as he heard that Luffy hadn't been to Dandan's country all day. His eyes only briefly skimmed over the calendar, and his eyes widened at the date; there was a childish circle drawn around March 5th.

First their was realization, then there was guilt; heart wrenching guilt

It was his first birthday after Sabo's death... How the hell could he have forgotten?! Sighing in frustration, he ran back to his country and grabbed a heavy, long sleeved shirt to put over his current one, and then a pair of boots before running out into the darkness of the night; he hoped it wasn't too late; he hoped he wasn't hurt, injured, or even worse... Dead. He couldn't be dead; right?

He shook his head, Luffy couldn't die; he was too annoying to die and leave him just like that.

"Luffy!" He called out frantically, running past a group of trees and over bushes; he ran right over the frozen river, almost slipping on the ice before he got to the other end. His frantic breaths were in front of him as he stopped; his hands on his knees as he regained his breath, he needed to find his precious little brother.

He slowed down, finding a dark figure leaning against a tree; sprawled out, lifelessly. On closer inspection; there were scrapes, cuts, bruises, and a large gash in his left arm.

"Luffy...?" He asked, getting closer and pulling the figure into view gently; "Oh my god, Luffy!" His face was red, he was wearing summer clothing in the winter; as he often did whenever Ace forgot to remind him. His hands shook as they grabbed the younger's wrist, there was a pulse; but it was weak. In one single movement, he managed to pick Luffy up bridal style- since it was the safest way to carry him; he was freezing, there was no warmth in him whatsoever. Not to mention the child was soaked to the bone with freezing water.

He gulped, running off into the direction of Dandan's country; he wouldn't let his brother die, his brother had already suffered enough because of him.  
While unconscious, Luffy mumbled something that gave Ace even more guilt that he thought possible  
"Sorry... Ace..."

* * *

Ace paced back and forth in front of the room Luffy had been taken into, he had been doing so for an hour now; and he hadn't heard anything since. Dandan had scolded him again, he reply; he didn't even glare. He just silently listened to her until she shut up.

"He's stabilized," A doctor that Dandan had threatened said, walking out of the room silently. "It's amazing he's alive, he's such a small child... Leaving him out in the snow wearing summer clothing was a bad idea, not to be harsh; but you should really be looking out for him. Any later and he would've died. He's seven; correct?"

Ace shook his head, "Eight, yesterday was his birthday... I forgot and snapped at him... He was stuck in the snow for god knows how long" Ace ranted, bring his hands to his head as he slid down, holding his head in attempt to get rid of the painful guilt.

"You can see him now, he'll be in pain for a bit; though. I'll be on my way" The doctor said, leaving with quickened steps; Ace swallowed nervously before turning to the door, opening it hesitantly before entering.

He was shocked to see Luffy attempting to crawl out of the window, "Luffy!" Ace said worriedly, rushing over to his crying, cold little brother and helping him back into the futon in the middle of the room; a fireplace was lit at the farthest side of the room, successfully keeping the room warm.

"What're you doing?"

"What... What day is it...?"

"March 6th, why?"

"I promised Ace I wouldn't bother for the rest of the day yesterday; is Ace happy n-now" Luffy stuttered; a series of coughs were heard throughout the sentence,

"Luffy..." Ace mumbled with a sigh, falling to his knees right next to Luffy; he gently ran his fingers through his little brother's hair. "I'm sorry, Luffy; I'm so sorry"

"Ace... Ace didn't do anything... Ace is older, and someone said you'd want to be around people your age or som... something like that" Luffy's breaths were already becoming heavier, as were his eyelids; "But... Next year... Next year..."

"Next year... Could you say happy birthday next year?"

Ace froze.

"S-Sure."

* * *

**Sorry if it went too fast, ect... Just something random off my mind. Had to rewrite it**

**_~The Dark Crimson Blood_**


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